


Counting Seconds

by Ninetytwochairsonetable



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Friendship, Gen, Promises, Suicide Attempt, joker dies, the time jason died and came back to life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27116273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninetytwochairsonetable/pseuds/Ninetytwochairsonetable
Summary: Jason will stop falling.
Relationships: Kon-El | Conner Kent & Jason Todd
Comments: 7
Kudos: 57





	Counting Seconds

**Author's Note:**

> warnings: reference to death, suicidal themes  
> i wasn't sure how to tag, so if there's anything i really should, please message me, thank you.
> 
> thanks for looking.

When Jason’s hand slipped and his body plummeted toward the ground, all he could think of was Dick’s stupid face being the last thing he'll see. Then someone caught him and he stopped falling.

But he was still falling. And falling. And falling.  
There was no end to the hellish descent, nothing to hold on to, nothing to crash on. There was nothing. Only Jason.

He needed a distraction. Without an ounce of will in his body, Jason forced his legs to move, stumbling his way to anywhere. Which is why he was only minutely surprised he ended up at the medical bay.

The boy (his savior) laid there silently like a dead man. Jason hoped that was not the case as he pulled up a chair. Sitting next to this stranger, Jason spoke in a low voice.

“Have you ever dreamt of falling?” There was no miraculous recovery to answer him. “I never did until now. I can’t stop falling. Even right now. I don’t know how to wake up.”

He’s not sure for how long he’d been mumbling to the other boy but his throat was quite dry by the time he heard a soft groaning. Turning his head showed the lone patient somewhat awake and squinting at Jason.

The boy spoke, slurring his words, “I’ll catch you.” then went back to dreamland.

Jason wasn’t sure if the boy had heard his whispers or if he just connected Jason’s face with falling, or whatever else it could be. Jason held on to those words.

* * *

Up on the roof, Jason toed the edge of the building, wondering how many seconds it’ll take to hit the ground. How many seconds until he finally stops falling. How many seconds until somebody notices.

He never found the answer because Dick talked him out of it.

* * *

His name was Kon, and he promised to catch Jason wherever he may be.

* * *

The explosion was loud. Probably really hot too, but Jason doesn’t remember feeling much of the heat. The debris he was pinned under had a small window for him to look up at the blue blue sky. (Gotham never looked like this.) The cloudless sky seemed to mock him. So far and out of reach. It taunted. There is no Batman. There is no Bruce. There is certainly no mother. There never was a Robin.

There is no Kon.  
(You can’t catch something that’s not falling.)

But maybe now, he can finally stop falling.

* * *

Then Jason was back. Back to flying above Gotham’s rooftops. Back with heavy hits and vicious swings. Back with bullets and grenades.  
He was back to falling.

But life wasn’t very fair. He was back to laying in his blood in some crumbling warehouse, Joker long gone and Batman… somewhere. It didn’t matter where because he wasn’t _there_.

He left Jason to fall alone.

* * *

Taking a step back, Jason reassessed and reorganized his priorities. Everything he had done so far had basically amounted to a rejection. Fine! That’s fine. Checked off his list. Who cares! Next point…  
Joker still crawled around like the cockroach he is.  
If no one will avenge Jason, then Jason will do it himself.

* * *

The Joker had always been a looming nightmare behind him. But that great creature of horrors was taken down with one bullet. The spectacle was rather underwhelming, but the sense of relief was anything but. Jason felt like he could breathe again.

And with that taken care of, there was only one thing left for Jason.  
To stop falling.

* * *

There were two ways to stop falling. One, to hit the ground and two, to be caught.

Jason was back on a rooftop, wondering the seconds once more. He hopped up on the building’s ledge and walked along the perimeter. He had extraordinary balance ~~(as all birds should have)~~ , though a little trip down wasn’t a big deal.

Voice carried away by the disgusting Gotham breeze, Jason spoke to air.

“Hey, Kon… It’s been… some years. I did a lot of bad things. You probably know about them. Heh, everyone knows at this point. That I’m a bad guy… But… But don’t worry. I know it too. It’s okay to hate me, ‘cuz I hate me too.”

Jason rambled on, not really sure what to say, but having the burning need to speak anyway.

“I go around taking out bad guys. I’m a bad guy, ya know. So I’m just doing my job. It’s okay… Kon, I’m still falling. But I know how to wake up now. So. Yeah... Bye.”

And Jason tipped back and counted the seconds.

"Told ya I'll catch you."

**Author's Note:**

> um. i'm pretty knew to batman related stuff. but i really like jason. just hope this isn't so wildly out there that it doesn't make sense.


End file.
